The popularity of fishing from kayaks has increased dramatically in recent years. Fishing from a kayak is attractive for many reasons, including the small size and minimal draft of the kayak, which allows for launching and fishing in areas that are difficult to access using a traditional boat. Also, the small size and light weight of a kayak allows one person to move the kayak from home to a fishing spot with little preparation or help. Additionally, there is no need to charge and carry heavy batteries for a trolling motor, or to deal with the difficulties of launching a traditional boat.
Current kayak manufactures have seized on the expansion of the use of kayaks for fishing by enhancing traditional kayak designs. Such enhancements include: improved seat construction, added amenities specific to the needs of fishing, and foot pedal propulsion to create a somewhat hands-free experience.
Yet, there are challenges in fishing from presently available kayaks, including the need to frequently re-position the kayak when there is wind and/or current, which repeatedly interrupts fishing. Also, the seat in presently available kayaks is not ergonomic for long-term sitting, because one's feet are nearly at waist level at all times, which puts a strain on one's lower back. Further, in presently available kayaks the seat is too close to the water to effectively pitch or cast underhand to get under overhanging cover. Also, the seat in presently available kayaks is too close to the water, thereby causing a shallow viewing angle into the water that makes sight fishing difficult.
Pedal Kayaks are available on the market. Users of a pedal kayak use their legs to propel the kayak using a rotating propeller, or a set of underwater “flippers”, instead of using their arms to propel and steer the kayak using a traditional kayak paddle. Although pedal kayaks reduce the need to pick up a paddle to propel the kayak, one must still use a hand-operated rudder to steer the kayak, which does not allow precise adjustment of position, and takes one's hands away from fishing. Further, the seat in a pedal kayak is too low, which means it is not ergonomic. And the seat is too close to the water to effectively pitch or cast underhand, which also causes a shallow viewing angle into the water that makes sight fishing difficult. Moreover, pedal kayaks are complex and expensive. Thus, pedal kayaks fail to provide an ideal platform from which to fish.